19:21Luke 19:21

Luke 19:21 is the plea of the unfaithful servant in the parable of the pounds or talents, where a master going to receive a kingdom leaves money and goods with his servants and later returns to reckon with them for increase.Ms 9, 1898, par. 1–6+4 The servant who buried his pound in the earth and hid it in a napkin defends his idleness by charging his master with being austere and hard, reaping where he did not sow.Ms 9, 1898, par. 1–6+4 That charge is false and is his excuse to shift blame, revealing his own ungenerous character and ignorance of the Lord, not injustice in the Master.Ms 9, 1898, par. 1–6+2 God is that Master who lends to every person soul, body, time, gifts, property and truth in trust, and each will be examined personally according to what was given, with even the smallest talent required to be improved and returned with increase.Ms 81, 1893, par. 69–72+4 Faithful stewards therefore must work at once in cooperation with divine power, trading upon what is lent to advance truth and save souls, for hiding the trust in sloth and selfish use robs God, leaves souls unwarned, and forfeits the gift and eternal life itself.Ms 25, 1899, par. 7–8+4

Luke 19:21 belongs to the parable of the pounds or talents, concerning a man who went into a far country to receive a kingdom and return, who entrusted money and goods to his servants and afterward called them to account for what had been placed in their hands.2T 667.3–668.2+2 The setting is stewardship and reckoning, in which even one talent or pound must be accounted for and the Master requires back what was entrusted with its increase.2T 667.3–668.2+2 The pound is a trust advanced by the lord, so any gain depends on what he provided and the credit belongs to him rather than giving the trading servant ground for personal merit.Lt 192, 1903, par. 29+1

The verse records the words of the unfaithful, slothful servant in defense of his failure to use the entrusted pound, pleading fear of his lord and accusing him of being austere, severe, harsh and hard.Ms 9, 1898, par. 1–6+2 He charges that his master takes up what he did not deposit and reaps or harvests what he did not sow.4T 479.1+2 That view of God as a hard master, when cherished, makes people hard, exacting, denunciatory and cruel in their judgments of others.Ms 31, 1889, par. 25

The servant who speaks these words hid what was entrusted, wrapping the pound or talent in a napkin and burying it in the earth, hoarding his lord's goods and doing nothing with them.8T 55.2+2 His claim was that fear of his master kept him from using it, thereby trying to make his lord responsible for his own neglect.ST Dec 10, 1894+1 Burying the talent means failing to recognize accountability to improve what God gave, failing to live earnest, thoughtful, undivided service, and failing to represent the truth in life and character and to testify to the power of Christ's grace.Ms 81, 1893, par. 69–72+1

The servant pleads fear of his master as his defense for doing nothing with the entrusted pound, claiming that dread of supposed harshness and greed kept him from trading with it.Ms 9, 1898, par. 1–6+4 Having failed to use his talent, he tries to shift responsibility for that failure onto his lord.Ms 9, 1898, par. 1–6+3 His charge that the master takes what was not deposited and reaps what was not sown is false, offered only as his excuse and not as proof that the master is unjust.Ms 9, 1898, par. 1–6+1 It exposes his own ungenerous and unjust character and shows he does not know the Lord, using a false view of Him to justify withholding what was entrusted.Ms 9, 1898, par. 1–6+1

To bind the talent in a napkin and bury it in the earth instead of putting it to use is fearful inaction toward God under the claim of fearing Him.Lt 70, 1886, par. 10+1 Powers of body and mind are given to be employed as a blessing to the world and to honor Him, and to use them in a way that does not honor Him is fearful, because He will demand their return with increase.Lt 70, 1886, par. 10+1 He has claims on those to whom He has given great light, compassion, mercy and long-suffering, and He searches for fruit from them but finds only leaves when talents are buried.Lt 36, 1876, par. 15 What He wants is trust and confidence in Him with guarded and careful action that still puts every talent to active use to bring glory to the Giver.Lt 70, 1886, par. 10+1

The servant's complaint against his master exposes the spirit of unfaithful servants, who make the most complaints about God and their brethren.Ms 25, 1899, par. 7–8 To regard God as a hard master makes people hard themselves, exacting, denunciatory, and cruel in their judgments of others.Ms 31, 1889, par. 25

God is the Master and Christ is the owner who lends means to men, and all that is possessed is a loan from Him who purchased soul, body, spirit, time, gifts and offerings with His own blood and suffering.TCBMP 159.1+1 Talents are given in trust to every person from the lowliest and most obscure to those in highest positions, proportioned to varied capabilities, with no idlers in His vineyard and none excused.Ms 81, 1893, par. 69–72+1 Those talents include powers of body and mind, natural abilities, property, money, spiritual advantages and the light of truth.Ms 81, 1893, par. 69–72+2 More learning, talents and money only increase and intensify responsibility, and the question is not what is owned of the Lord's but what is being done with what He has graciously entrusted.Lt 59, 1893, par. 11–13+1 God will surely require His own with usury from every human being, and those who refuse to connect with Him, refuse to serve and trade, and forget the required return will not long keep the blessing of what was entrusted.Ms 26, 1896, par. 27–28

A steward acts in the master's place, treats the master's interests as his own, handles not his own goods but the Master's entrusted capital, and is trusted with the master's goods so that using advantages from them for personal benefit perverts that trust.Ms 81, 1893, par. 69–72+1 It is each owner's own God-given work to dispense what is lent wisely and judiciously while alive with reason and ability, and not to leave that work for children or others after death.TCBMP 159.1+1 That stewardship cannot be transferred to another or shifted upon any person or set of persons, for the work and accountability belong to each person.SPBC 183.1–2+2 Means are to be invested in His cause when and where the Spirit indicates, trading upon talents according to ability and acting a part in carrying forward mission fields and other interests of His cause.Lt 34a, 1886, par. 28–29

Each servant is examined personally, and accountability is measured according to capacity and the entrusted capital, including houses, lands and money.ST Oct 22, 1894+2 No one is accountable for gifts never given, and the servant with one pound is not expected to account for three.SPBC 183.1–2+1 Simply returning the pound unused is not acceptable, and even the smallest amount and the lowliest talent and humblest service are to be devoted to service and put out to use for doing good and saving souls, so that usefulness may increase through Christ's grace.Lt 29, 1897, par. 14–15+2 Faithful use can increase what has been entrusted, and each person is responsible both for using the gift well and for the additional gifts gained through its use.Lt 26, 1894, par. 21

There will be a day of final account and reckoning when the Lord comes as Chief Shepherd and Judge to reckon with His servants.Ms 81, 1893, par. 69–72+1 There is no second probation, and day by day, hour by hour, men trading on the Lord's money and handling His goods are making their records in the books of heaven and building for the last great day.MC 67.1 The use made of every talent will be scrutinized to see whether the capital has been improved and whether the Lord receives His own with usury.4SP 311.2+1 Reward or punishment will correspond to how the trust was used, and reward will be proportionate to work, for servants are justified by faith and judged by their works.Ms 81, 1893, par. 69–72+2

Mere profession of faith in Christ and church membership do not secure entrance into God's kingdom and have no value alone.4SP 311.2+1 Nothing counts as genuine except love shown by works in obeying God's will, serving others and helping in the work of salvation.4SP 311.2+1 Faith works by love and purifies the soul of moral defilement that it may become a temple for the Lord.Ms 81, 1893, par. 69–72

Disciples cannot remain slothful servants but must work, watching opportunity to represent truth and win souls, trading upon entrusted goods according to ability, growing in grace and knowledge, developing spiritual advantages and natural abilities, and returning what belongs to the Master with increase.Ms 76, 1900, par. 9+3 Every amount however small is to be devoted to service through grace so its usefulness may increase, and faithful use brings increased ability and wider influence while burying ability in worldly life fails to honor the claim upon it.Lt 29, 1897, par. 14–15+1 The more talents are exercised the greater the increase of capability, and unless the seed sown struggles above the soil springing up into life it loses all power to germinate.Ms 76, 1900, par. 9

The pound is a deposit advanced by the Lord and a trust, and any gain or interest depends on that initial gift and His enabling, so success belongs to Him and all praise and glory are His.Ms 57, 1901, par. 15+1 The faithful servant takes no credit for the gain and trading gives no basis for claiming personal merit, for the credit belongs to the master who provided it.Ms 57, 1901, par. 15+1 Divine power working with the human deserves all the credit, not human smartness or educational power.SPBC 128.3–4+1

Even a small gift and the one talent are to be put to use and can be used faithfully and judged faithful, for no one is accountable for gifts never given yet accountability belonging to each person cannot be transferred to another.SPBC 183.1–2+1 Reward is decided by the faithfulness with which the work is done, and the work of the one with only one talent is as valuable in God's sight as the work of the one with five, with nothing in God's work insignificant and no small opportunity in little things to be neglected.SPBC 183.1–2+1 Money, property, mind, influence, and every other gift are the Lord's goods entrusted to be used to advance His work and build His kingdom, bringing the light of truth to those in darkness and gaining increase for Him.9T 245.3+2 Those who trade with these goods should seek wisdom so they do not use the trust for self-glory or selfish desires.9T 245.3

Unearthing the talent and putting it out to the exchangers means every church member learning how to minister effectually and going to work in the vineyard instead of leaving enlightening others and making Christ known to ministers alone, so used talents develop diligent laborers and men fitted for trust and influence.Ms 151, 1897, par. 28–29 This responsibility extends to a minister's wife to work earnestly with her husband to save souls and willingly sacrifice personal wishes, pleasures, and natural tastes in doing good.GW 202.1 The ability to write is a talent given in wise providence designed to bring means into stewards' hands to be used wisely without compromise, invested when and where the Spirit indicates for mission fields and regions beyond, with stewardship never shifted upon any man or set of men.Lt 34a, 1886, par. 28–29

Faithful use is cooperation in which divine and human agency combine, for nothing is done in reclaiming men from transgression to loyalty and obedience without human agencies, and every endowment of grace and power and efficiency is liberally provided with strongest motives to arouse and keep alive the missionary spirit.SPBC 128.3–4+1 As men use their talents the Holy Spirit takes the things of God and presents them anew to the mind and makes the neglected word a vivifying agency quick and powerful upon minds, molding human character after the divine likeness.SPBC 128.3–4+1 As they impart what they have received they receive more richly as laborers together with God in perfect harmony with His appointed agencies, while failure to connect so mind, soul, and strength are controlled by the Spirit robs Him.Ms 1, 1899, par. 7–8+1 Faithful stewards are to act at once without delay for a day or an hour, looking over affairs and doing earnest work now while the four winds are held, sustaining the cause of truth with means and influence.Lt 44, 1886, par. 17–20+1 They are to dispense what is lent wisely and judiciously while alive with reason and ability rather than leaving the burden to others after death, relieving suffering institutions and supporting laborers in hard mission fields who lack support to live and feed and clothe their families, with those in responsible positions setting the example by planning and working with greater earnestness than for their own property.Lt 44, 1886, par. 17–20+1

Hiding the talent means binding ability in a napkin and burying it in the earth through idleness, sloth, and selfish withholding of what belongs to the Lord and retards His work.Lt 36, 1876, par. 15+2 It is tying one's own hands instead of putting the trust to use, standing as idlers in the marketplace and sleeping while souls are left unenlightened and perish out of Christ while the work of making Christ known is left to ministers alone.Lt 36, 1876, par. 15+1 It is failing to recognize accountability to improve what was given, failing to live earnest, thoughtful, undivided service, failing to feel real obligation to represent truth in life and character, to testify to the power of Christ's grace and the reformation it works, and to exalt God's law before those who make it void.19MR 174.1–175.1 The parable thus teaches the necessity of mental and moral improvement, of growing in grace and knowledge, of watching opportunity to represent truth and win souls, for the more talents are exercised the greater the increase of capability, and unless the seed struggles above the soil into life it loses power to germinate.Ms 76, 1900, par. 9

Hiding entrusted means includes keeping money idle and keeping earthly treasure and means unused while laborers in hard mission fields lack support to live and feed and clothe their families.Lt 44, 1886, par. 17–20+1 It is embezzling the Lord's goods by diverting them from where most needed into channels that bind them away from the field, burying them in worldly enterprises and investments, diverting wealth to luxury while people need help, and sacrificing spiritual concerns for land as in burying talent for a plot of land.Lt 8, 1871, par. 15–19+2 It includes tying resources up in buildings where they cannot serve, though rightly applied talents can produce increased returns, and placing God's means with people who disregard the truth, which is like wrapping the talent in a napkin and hiding it in the earth.4T 479.1+1 Such withholding leaves to others after death the burden of work that belongs to the steward to do wisely and judiciously while alive with reason and ability, laying up treasure in heaven and sustaining the cause with means and influence in self-denial after Christ who became poor to make people rich, doing earnest work now while the four winds are held.Lt 44, 1886, par. 17–20

Neglect robs God of what belongs to Him, for everyone entrusted with even one talent is required to do his very best with it to increase the Master's revenue, and both the original trust and its increase are required when He comes.Ms 25, 1899, par. 7–8+1 It leaves people unwarned and unsaved, with serious guilt resting on those who withhold resources, and God tests by entrusted means whether people love the gift more than the Giver.RH Apr 18, 1912+1 Money entrusted is a stewardship for which people must answer, to be used to advance God's work and gain increase for Him so that Christ receives His own with increase.HSFM 292.2–5+1

Refusing to use God-given abilities, gifts, means, and opportunities results in losing what could have increased through faithful use and in putting eternal interests at risk.Lt 8, 1871, par. 15–19+1 The slothful servant with his one pound hoarded his lord's goods and did nothing with it and lost his soul, for failure in little things forfeits eternal life and failing to use what is entrusted brings judgment.Ms 25, 1899, par. 7–8+2 God sees all misappropriation, is dishonored by it, and will not sanction or prosper those who practice it.Ms 172, 1901, par. 1–4 Those who refuse to connect with Him, refuse to serve and trade, and forget the required return are unfaithful stewards and will not long keep the blessing of what was entrusted to them, though God requires His own with usury from every human being.Ms 26, 1896, par. 27–28

The remedy is to unearth the talent and put it out to the exchangers by going to work in the vineyard, with every church member learning how to minister effectually instead of leaving the work to ministers, so that used talents develop diligent laborers and men fitted for trust and influence to accomplish great good.Ms 151, 1897, par. 28–29 It means exercising every endowment however small in setting forth Christ crucified and present truth, making personal efforts, going into cities where truth has never gone and lifting the standard, sending the warning that Christ is coming the second time with power and great glory and calling men to repentance.SPBC 128.3–4+1 When a person works on the plan of addition in the littles heartily as unto the Lord, God works on the plan of multiplication to make those littles the most precious influences in His work, and no offering given with pure-heartedness and gladness of soul is small.Ms 25, 1899, par. 7–8